Drug Costs Plague Seniors, but Legislative Relief May Be Elusive

Many seniors covered by private Medicare drug plans face high costs that may not be alleviated by legislation until the next general election, reports the Boston Globe . Kaiser Family Foundation President Drew Altman said despite bipartisan support to contain drug costs, "it's not clear that either side wants to give the other a victory to talk about" in the currently polarized government. Proposals recently introduced in Congress include allowing seniors on fixed incomes to buy more affordable drugs from other countries and permitting Medicare to negotiate prices for its 44 million beneficiaries. Advocates of price reduction see rhetoric from both President Trump and new liberal members of Congress as signs of hope. Surveys from the Kaiser Family Foundation cited lowering drug prices as a top priority among both Democratic and GOP voters. "There's no question the cost of prescription drugs is our No. 1 issue," noted AARP Massachusetts Director Mike Festa. "In a high-cost state like ours, the impact is acute." Garnering attention is a bill from Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) to block drug companies from paying competitors to delay the rollout of low-priced generic drugs.